September 2014 Blog Posts (53)

One of the time-honored traditions of the fire service is the local fire department chaplain. Often it is the local priest, and FDNY is a great example of this type of chaplaincy. However, what I’ve come to realize is that there are many types of chaplain programs out there in our fire service. There are full-time paid chaplains who care for the spiritual and emotional needs of the fire department personnel 24/7. There are volunteer clergy (pastors, rabbis, priests, etc), who give their time…

I could say many things about these cartoons and my personal experiences, but I am going to give this space up for a friend who is following the noble calling of helping firefighters save ourselves, so we may continue…

No educational value when one of the "sides" of fire service debates screws up

"You're doing it all wrong. Let me tell you how to do it."

Debate and the fire service are no strangers. As we grow and evolve in our…

In extrication you will find thousands of names for each individual method. Many times I think we get consumed with the "cool" names and start lose focus on the goal/purpose of the given method. I challenge you to research your choice methods…

 I'm going to steal the words from my brainiac kids here - "Science doesn't care what you think."  So I'm going to apply science to some of my earlier writing regarding heavyweight tactics on lightweight apartment "externally-ignited" fires.

 In the June, 2014 edition of Fire Engineering Magazine I wrote about the critical need for heavyweight tactics when faced with a lightweight apartment building fire, especially when the fire starts on the exterior (…

Recently, I was researching some topics for an upcoming training session when I ran across a fire department that states themselves as an “All Hazards” fire department. I thought about that for a second and thought to myself shouldn’t every fire department be an all hazard fire department? As firefighters we train for the unknown situations.  We prepare our tools, trucks and gear for the unknown. A fire department should not limit themselves on one or two response hazards. An organization…

Will you fit? Better find out before the box

Companies in the 39^th Battalion responded to Box 1873 for the reported fire on the fourth floor of 1308 Loring Avenue on 29 July 2014. Reports of children trapped led to the initial assignment being made…

Has the fire service changed?

That's the question I've asked myself over the last several months. My guys have asked the same questions about changes, leadership and tradition. My answer to my crew is simple.

Times always will change and we have to be prepared for it. But you prepare for the challenges in the classroom and the training grounds. Given our ever changing…

A health and safety issue when dealing with carbon nanotubes (CNT) and carbon nanofibers (CNF).  Many of do not even think about carbon nonotubes or carbon nanofibers but they represent the newest technology that creates a health hazard for our firefighters. NIOSH ¹ rated the health hazards, based on comparison, with silica, asbestos, ultrafine carbon black…

I am adding another web article to Fire Engineering’s web site in Fire Dynamics. It is called “What Would You Do? Here is the link:   http://www.fireengineering.com/articles/2014/09/what-would-you-do-lightweight-wood-building.html

Twice a month, I will post a scenario on the web site.  It will contain a looped video of a fire situation, a brief description of the building and…

Many times there are situations in which the "chosen ones"-the spreader and cutter are not the best option for freeing a heavily trapped patient. When faced with heavy side intrusion, we need to consider cross ramming. It is incredibly beneficial when the side causing entrapment is against an object or when extremities are pinned in an…

The Boy Scout motto is, "Be Prepared".  We admire the people who seemingly can show up and simply figure things out on the fly.  It simply isn't true.  If hope and luck are what you operate on, you are asking for trouble.  Eventually the clock will strike midnight, your engine will turn into a pumpkin, and…

One of my favorite benefits of the Internet is the ability to communicate with extrication trainers from around the world.  So I asked several extrication trainers a simple question. In one to two sentences, why do you train in extrication?

Jorg Heck

It simply doesn't work efficiently without training...

Randy Schmitz

Well in a nut shell I think the removal of a patient trapped in the wreckage of an automobile or other…